The holidays are coming up very soon and this is a time of year where families get together and bond. They bond through traditions, feasts, gifts and much more. While most family’s are lucky to do this, there are some family’s or just people without family, who cannot celebrate the holidays the way we all do. This could be because some people are poor and can’t afford to celebrate, people who are homeless, or people who are sick in the hospital and cannot make it home to celebrate. Here are some easy ways to donate and help during the holidays

HOW TO DONATE GIFTS
There are so many parents who want their children to wake up with plenty of gifts on Christmas morning, but not everyone can afford gifts. It is so upsetting to the parents and especially the kids. A way YOU can help families in need, especially during holidays, would only take a little of your time. A super easy way is while you’re shopping. Most stores during the holidays will have a box by the exits where you can drop off gifts in to donate to kids. Just picking up something small like a toy car or doll would make a child’s Christmas just so much better. Another way to help with gifts is toy drives at school. This year Dakota is hosting a toy drive where students can bring in new gifts or money to their second hour and donate. This toy drive ends on December 19th, 2018. Whoever collects the most gifts gets a big prize for the whole class. But of course this is not about the prize. The biggest prize of all is seeing kids smile on Christmas.

HOW TO DONATE WINTER CLOTHES

With the holidays comes the brutal, cold weather. And just like gifts, not everyone can afford it. But unlike gifts, this is very much a necessity during this time of year. Again YOU can easily pick up some new clothes and drop it into a donation box. Or you can go through your closet and look for any old jackets, gloves, and hats and donate it to place like Salvation Army and drop boxes by schools. This is something greatly appreciated and you’d receive so much good karma.

HOW TO DONATE FOOD

Holiday feasts are the best. Your family cooks festive and cultural foods for one day out of the year, and you can eat as much as you want. Unfortunately while you’re eating good, some people aren’t eating at all. But YOU can help this. You can get involved in can food drives. You can also pick up some food at the grocery store and put it into the donation box at the exit. These are easy things to do that would really help our community in a tremendous way. Food is so important. Without food we cannot survive. And it’s hard to imagine people starving, but so many adults and even children do. That’s the reality and people like you and I can help this.

*HOW TO DONATE IN OTHER WAYS*

DONATE MONEY

You can do this by giving a couple dollars here and there when the people at the cash registers ask if you want to donate. Even a dollar goes a long way. You can also go online and look up some fundraisers to donate money.

DONATE PERSONALLY

This is hard for some people to do but it is a good thing. When you’re driving down the street and see homeless people, hand them at least a couple dollars. No matter what they do with that money, either for better or for worse, you know that you had good intentions. Another way to donate personally is if you know someone who you’re close with, or not, and you know they’re struggling, help them out. You do not have to be the bestest friends with someone to be a good person. You can even go to shelters yourself or soup kitchens to help make and pass out meals to the people who aren’t as lucky as most of us. Lastly a great way is to go to hospitals and give people smalls gifts. Or go to events like the Moonbeams at the Royal Oak Beaumont hospital. It’s been going on for a while now and you basically go and share some holiday spirit. These people will unfortunately not be home for the holidays and makes their situation worse.

Just taking a little time out of your day can make someones whole day, or week, or month, or year. There are many who will not be as blessed as you this year during the holidays. Share the blessings everyone.